1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an e-mail system for simultaneously distributing a plurality of different video data streams across a network to a plurality of client recipient computers, wherein the video streams may be embedded into a web page that provides e-mail services, preferably over the Internet.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The Internet is a constantly evolving worldwide communication technology network. One of its limitations has been the ability to present quality audio/video presentations. Due to the limited ability of current technology to transfer data to the end user, the quality of audio and video presentation on the Internet has been considered poor.
In general, there are two modern approaches to xe2x80x9cplaying backxe2x80x9d multimedia information located at a remote location, such as playing back a xe2x80x9cvideo clipxe2x80x9d on the Internet. Using the first approach, a client node downloads a file having the video information from a corresponding xe2x80x9cwebsitexe2x80x9d or server node. The client node then plays back the information once the file has been completely transferred. Using the second approach, the server node xe2x80x9cstreamsxe2x80x9d the information to the client node so that the client may begin playback soon after the information starts to arrive at the client node.
xe2x80x9cStreaming videoxe2x80x9d is an industry term that describes the manner through which video is sent across the Internet. Various client players can view this xe2x80x9cstreaming videoxe2x80x9d if the video stream is encoded in a manner consistent with the capabilities and requirements of the various client players"" equipment. In practice, the video signal is digitized, compressed and then encoded just prior to being transmitted to the various client players.
Digitizing is an electronic process in which a continuously variable (analog) signal is changed, without altering its essential content, into a multi-level (digital) signal. The output of a digitizer has discretely defined levels or states.
Audio and video compression reduces the amount of digital data required to store and transmit videos. Content compression can be as simple as removing all extra space characters, inserting a single repeat character to indicate a string of repeated characters, and substituting smaller bit strings for frequently occurring characters. By reducing the amount of data, not only are storage requirements reduced, but the speed with which videos are transmitted is increased. When working with live video, pre-optimizing the lighting camera on the motion content of the video prior to compression reduces artifacts caused by the compression process. Video compression techniques enable the videos to be played on client workstations.
The standard compression technique used with videos delivered over high-speed networks is Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 define integrated audio and video streams. That is, a video encoded by MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 uses a single bit stream for both the audio and the video components. Orderwire (OW) proprietary implementation specifies sub data rates of the SIF MPEG-1 format combined with low bit rate proprietary encoding schemes. Typically, MPEG-1 is encoded at 1.5 Mbps as a standard. Sub data rates for MPEG-1 below 500 Kbps are non-standard and are typically not supported by software decoders.
Encoding devices convert analog video to one of several digital compression formats. The encoder output is a file that may be permanently stored. Alternatively, the output can be distributed on a computer network and viewed in real time, captured by another system, or discarded. Digital video distribution supports pre-encoded video files. Digital video distribution also supports output from network streaming encoders that encapsulate MPEG video data within the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transport protocol and transmit it in real time over a network.
Because there is no standard format for encoded video data on a computer network, the output of an encoder can be viewed or captured only by suitably equipped receiving decoder systems. Video players that can view live digital video feeds directly from a network are provided to the client""s workstation. The video player on the client side then decodes the compressed video format before playing it on the workstation. For this reason, the client-side video players are also called video decoders.
Several common client-side video players are presently being used to view video streams. G2 Real Video provides low bit-rate streaming with average quality playback. Each stream will have a bit rate of less than 56 Kbps.
QuickTime 4.0 provides low bit rate streaming with good quality playback. Each channel will have 100 Kbps and 56 Kbps streams. The images are scalable to 320xc3x97240 at 10 fps.
WindowsMedia provides low bit rate streaming with good quality playback. Each channel will have 300 Kbps, 100 Kbps and 37 Kbps streams. The images are scalable to 320xc3x97240 at from 10 to 30 fps.
Q-SIF (Quarter Standard Image Format) MPEG-1 (Thin MPEG) provides low bit rate streaming with good quality playback. Each stream typically has a data rate of less than 300 Kbps. This type of streaming requires 167 Mbytes of storage for each hour based on data rates of 250 Kbits/s of 176xc3x97144 pixcels image sizes. The images are scalable to 320xc3x97240 image sizes at 24-30 fps.
SIF MPEG-1 provides very good image quality with typical bit rates of 500 Kbps through 1.5 Mbps for image sizes of 352xc3x97288 pixels. This type of streaming requires 675 Mbytes of storage for each hour based on 1.5 Mbits/s data rates. The images are scalable to 640xc3x97480 at 30 fps, and the rate is supported by software decoders.
Presently, for transmitting data among computers on the Internet, Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer for the IP Protocol Suite, a standard of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It is a packet-switching protocol that uses xe2x80x9cbest effortxe2x80x9d for routing individual packets among hosts with no previously established communication path.
When IP is the standard used for transporting data among computers on the Internet, each computer on the network has an IP address that identifies it. The IP address consists of four octets represented in dotted decimal notation, such as 172.16.18.100. Multicast IP addresses are provided ranging from 224-239 (i.e. 224.xxx.xxx.xxx-239.xxx.xxx.xxx) in the final octet. Whereas the first octet denotes a multicast internet address.
With respect to transmitting video streams from a source/sender to a receiver/viewer, various transmission schemes are commonly employed. These transmission schemes utilize unicast and/or multicast UDP streams. Unicast streams are those sent from a sender to a single receiver. Multicast streams are those sent from a sender to multiple, simultaneous receivers.
Video on Demand (VoD) is a unicast transmission between the sender and the receiver. During a unicast transmission, a xe2x80x9cchannelxe2x80x9d is exclusively established between the two parties. This channel is interactive in the sense that the receiver has the ability to play, fast-forward, rewind, pause, stop or start the video at any time. This application can be compared to functions of viewing videotape. The receiver/customer can order the tape at any time and control its playback dynamically.
Near Video on Demand (NVoD) is a scheduled multicast event. This technology is similar to watching a xe2x80x9cpay-per-viewxe2x80x9d movie. A customer/viewer can select from a list of available programs on the video server and watch it at a scheduled time. The viewer will join an existing multicast group and will have no interaction on the playback of the video except for viewing the video as it plays.
Live Video Broadcasting (LVB) is another multicast application. This is analogous to what we see in traditional television broadcasting today. Live television broadcasts are compressed in xe2x80x9creal-timexe2x80x9d and transmitted over a multicast network. Again, the viewer has no interactive involvement in the playback of the broadcast, although the viewer can select a video from a list of available live broadcast streams.
Archive Video on Request (VoR) is a unicast application that may perform according to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) set of rules. Archive video can be downloaded by the customer/viewer as a video file from a video server. After the download is complete, the viewer can view the video at the viewer""s convenience, and the viewer has complete control over the video playback.
It is apparent that a wide variety of methods exist for encoding and presenting video and audio data on the Internet. Similarly, a variety of methods exist by which a client computer can receive and view video/audio presentations.
Several attempts have been made to improve upon video streaming over the Internet by varying how data is transmitted from a server to a receiver, however, none disclose the proprietary encoding technique contemplated by this invention. However, to date no one player/decoder can view all known video encoding formats.
Several attempts have also been made to provide video that is included with an e-email message or embedded into a web page that provides e-mail service over the Internet. Additionally, attempts have been made to provide a system that simultaneously provides a video display and a text message on a computer screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,506 to Kalra et al. discloses a method and apparatus that provides a scalable media delivery system for a plurality of receiving client computers which can vary the rate and base and additive stream combinations. However, the data is stored in a single format, and this system is not capable of simultaneously providing different encoded formats based upon a server side determination.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,823 to Brunson et al. discloses a video messaging arrangement. The arrangement merely combines a telephony multi-media messaging system with a plurality of video workstations and a network to provide a rich set of video messaging features, thereby enabling users to access video messages from the system and/or insert video messages into the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,689 to Budge et al. discloses an e-mail system wherein the system multiplexes a video e-mail player with encoded and multiplexed video, audio, and text data. The system then transmits the multiplexed information via a digital network to at least one addressed recipient who executes the transmitted file to read the text message, view the video message and listen to the audio message. Although the system includes video combined with e-mail, the video is not provided in plural different encoding formats and the player is transmitted with the data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,120 to Arazi et al. discloses a method and apparatus for combining and distributing data with pre-formatted real time video. Although the video and data may be sent to the same destination or various destinations, and plural video signals may be multiplexed and simultaneously transmitted, the apparatus does not specifically provide streaming video combined with e-mail messages, and the plural video signals are not encoded in different data compression techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,985 to Sebestyen discloses a method and apparatus for storing, searching and playing back items of information in a multimedia electronic mail system. The multimedia multiplexing system merely enables a user to access various types of e-mail messages from a single location and does not simultaneously provide different video data stream formats.
While prior art discloses various systems for transmitting data to a plurality of receivers to improve transmission by varying rates, optimizing bandwidth use and ignoring endpoint capabilities, it fails to provide xe2x80x9cstreaming videoxe2x80x9d over the Internet in an e-mail system wherein the video stream data is distributed in an encoded format matching different player capabilities of plural client computers, simultaneously.
Additionally, while the prior art discloses e-mail systems capable of transmitting video messages, the prior art does not satisfy the need for a method and system for embedding streaming video into a web page on an e-mail system, wherein the video stream data is distributed in an encoded format matching different player capabilities of plural client computers, simultaneously. The present invention provides an e-mail system and method by which the data comprising the eventual video stream data is encoded in a proprietary manner to simultaneously meet the reception requirements of multiple client players. The e-mail system of the present invention then embeds the video stream data into an e-mail web page, displaying the video stream data simultaneously with e-mail text messages.
Finally, the present invention discloses an e-mail system for providing a calendar simultaneously with the video stream display and e-mail text message.
The present invention relates to an e-mail system for simultaneously distributing a plurality of different video data streams across a network to a plurality of client recipient computers. The system includes an encoder for encoding digitized data into a plurality of different video data stream formats and a smart server for determining when a client recipient computer accesses the e-mail system and the type of a video player residing on the client recipient computer. Once the determination has been made an optimum video data stream format for the video player of the client recipient computer is distributed to the client recipient computer.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an e-mail system including a digitizer for digitizing video data streams, a means for compressing the digitized data and encoding the video data for simultaneously distributing a plurality of differently encoded video data streams across a network and via satellite, terrestrial and/or wireless techniques to a plurality of client recipient computers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an e-mail system for simultaneously distributing a plurality of different video data streams across a network to a plurality of client recipient computers, wherein the plurality of different video data streams are encoded into a plurality of different video data stream formats.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an e-mail system for simultaneously distributing a plurality of different video data streams across a network to a plurality of client recipient computers, wherein a smart server within the e-mail system determines the optimum video data stream format at which to transmit the data stream to the client computers that have accessed the e-mail system.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an e-mail system for simultaneously distributing a plurality of different video data streams across a network to a plurality of client recipient computers, wherein the video originates from a live source or from a video archive.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an e-mail system for simultaneously distributing a plurality of different video data streams across a network to a plurality of client recipient computers while providing an audio component to be broadcast with the video display and providing a calendar to be displayed with the e-mail and the streaming video.
The objects will be accomplished while providing simultaneous delivery of the following services associated with compressed video: video on demand, near video on demand, live video broadcasting and archive video on request. Additionally, the objects will be accomplished while the system recognizes and provides video streams to the following client players: G2 Real Video, QuickTime 4.0, Q-SIF MPEG-1 (Thin MPEG), and SIF MPEG-1. Finally, the objects will be accomplished while providing both unicast and multicast UDP streams.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred, but non-limiting, embodiment of the subject invention.